Isaiah 60:5-6 “’Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD.”
In the future (millennium) when everything is right with the world, God will provide a perfect environment and wholeness in every area of life. These verses, and many verses in the 60th chapter of Isaiah, remind the reader that entrepreneurs from nations create wealth, trade, and commerce, which is praiseworthy.
Principle: There is joy and pleasure in wealth since God provides the system for it. Everyone should acknowledge that and celebrate!
The wealth of nations comes through business, not government nor the church. Governments collect taxes and typically try to regulate business to get more. The church on the other hand often criticizes business due to theological notions from preachers and professors who have little grasp of economics.
In churches, collections are taken on Sunday. On Monday the bills are paid, and acts of charity are carried out. When collections come up short, it makes bill paying difficult. In the thoughts of many church pastors, wealth is seen as an entity to be divided up. Smaller pieces of pie should be made larger – the “Robin Hood” morality.
Entrepreneurs have a different understanding of money and wealth. They speak of making money, not of collecting it; of producing wealth, not redistributing it. Businessmen must consider the needs, wants, and desires of consumers, because the way to meet their financial needs, without relying on charity, is to offer something of value in exchange. Granted there is a Biblical emphasis on sharing wealth and resources from the “haves” to the “have-nots” of the Christian community. On the church side, it is understandable that many pastors spend part of their lives personally confronting the wretchedness of poverty. Poverty saddens and angers all of us and we want to put an end to it. However, church leaders and business leaders alike need to affirm the truth that the lessening of poverty will be achieved by producing wealth and protecting a free economy.
The free enterprise system is not just an American concept it is biblical. Praise God for it.
Discussion:
1. What is your attitude toward wealth? Do you believe you have a Biblical attitude toward it?
2. How does your attitude toward wealth affect how you run your business?
3. How might God want to change your attitude about wealth?
